Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include all of the accounts of Algodon Wines & Luxury Development Group, Inc. and the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.

 

Use of Estimates

 

To prepare financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, the Company must make estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts in the financial statements, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The significant estimates and assumptions of the Company include the valuation of equity instruments, the useful lives of property and equipment and reserves associated with the realizability of certain assets.

 

Discontinued Operations

 

The Company accounted for its decision to close down its broker-dealer subsidiary, CAP, as discontinued operations in accordance with the guidance provided in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 360, “Accounting for Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” and ASC Topic 205, “Presentation of Financial Statements,” which require that only a disposal of a component of an entity, or a group of components of an entity, that represents a strategic shift that has, or will have, a major effect on the reporting entity’s operations and financial results shall be reported in the financial statements as discontinued operations. Accordingly, the results of operations for CAP during the periods presented are reclassified into separate line items in the statements of operations. Assets and liabilities are also reclassified into separate line items on the related balance sheets for the periods presented.

 

Foreign Currency Translation

 

The Company’s functional and reporting currency is the United States Dollar. The functional currencies of the Company’s operating subsidiaries are their local currencies (United States Dollar, Argentine Peso and British Pound). There has been a steady devaluation of the Argentine Peso relative to the United States Dollar in recent years. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the balance sheet date (15.9681 and 12.9441 at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively), and revenue and expense accounts are translated at a weighted average exchange rate for the year then ended (14.7590 and 9.2495 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively).

 

Resulting translation adjustments are made directly to accumulated other comprehensive income. Losses arising from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of $52,528 and $360,170 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, are recognized in operating results in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company engages in foreign currency denominated transactions with customers and suppliers, as well as between subsidiaries with different functional currencies.

 

A highly inflationary economy is defined as an economy with a cumulative inflation rate of approximately 100 percent or more over a three-year period. If a country’s economy is classified as highly inflationary, the functional currency of the foreign entity operating in that country must be remeasured to the functional currency of the reporting entity. The official cumulative inflation rate for Argentina over the last three years approximated 90.9%, although the International Monetary Fund has concerns regarding the accuracy of the official data.

 

Accounts Receivable

 

Accounts receivable primarily represent receivables from hotel guests who occupy rooms and wine sales to commercial customers. The Company provides an allowance for doubtful accounts when it determines that it is more likely than not a specific account will not be collected. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $7,001 and $5,882, as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Bad debt expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $10,990 and $93,755, respectively. Write-offs of accounts receivable for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 were $6,484 and $10,347, respectively.

 

Inventory

 

Inventories are comprised primarily of vineyard in process, wine in process, finished wine, plus food and beverage items and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value (which is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation), with cost being determined on the first-in, first-out method. Costs associated with winemaking, and other costs associated with the creation of products for resale, are recorded as inventory. Vineyard in process represents the monthly capitalization of farming expenses (including farming labor costs, usage of farming supplies and depreciation of the vineyard and farming equipment) associated with the growing of grape, olive and other fruits during the farming year which culminates with the February/March harvest. Wine in process represents the capitalization of costs during the winemaking process (including the transfer of grape costs from vineyard in process, winemaking labor costs and depreciation of winemaking fixed assets, including tanks, barrels, equipment, tools and the winemaking building). Finished wines represents wine available for sale and includes the transfer of costs from wine in process once the wine is bottled and labeled. Other inventory consists of olives, other fruits, golf equipment and restaurant food.

 

In accordance with general practice within the wine industry, wine inventories are included in current assets, although a portion of such inventories may be aged for periods longer than one year. The Company carries inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value in accordance with ASC 330 “Inventory”, and reduces the carrying value of inventories that are obsolete or in excess of estimated usage to estimated net realizable value. The Company’s estimates of net realizable value are based on analyses and assumptions including, but not limited to, historical usage, future demand and market requirements. Reductions to the carrying value of inventories are recorded in cost of sales. If future demand and/or pricing for the Company’s products are less than previously estimated, then the carrying value of the inventories may be required to be reduced, resulting in additional expense and reduced profitability. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded write-downs in the value of work-in-process inventory of $91,479 and $193,146 as a result of hailstorms.

 

Property and Equipment

 

Investments in property and equipment are recorded at cost. These assets are depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives as follows:

 

Buildings 10 - 30 years
Furniture and fixtures 3 - 10 years
Vineyards 7 - 20 years
Machinery and equipment 3 - 20 years
Leasehold improvements 3 - 5 years
Computer hardware and software 3 - 5 years

 

The Company capitalizes internal vineyard improvement costs when developing new vineyards or replacing or improving existing vineyards. These costs consist primarily of the costs of the vines and expenditures related to labor and materials to prepare the land and construct vine trellises. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to operating expense as incurred. The cost of properties sold or otherwise disposed of and the related accumulated depreciation are eliminated from the accounts at the time of disposal and resulting gains and losses are included as a component of operating income. Real estate development consists of costs incurred to ready the land for sale, including primarily costs of infrastructure as well as master plan development and associated professional fees. Such costs will be allocated to individual lots proportionately based on square meters and those allocated costs will be derecognized upon the sale of individual lots. Given that they are not currently in service, capitalized real estate development costs are currently not being depreciated. Land is an inexhaustible asset and is not depreciated.

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award. For employees and directors, the fair value of the award is measured on the grant date and for non-employees, the fair value of the award is generally re-measured on financial reporting dates and vesting dates until the service period is complete. The fair value amount of the shares expected to ultimately vest is then recognized over the period for which services are required to be provided in exchange for the award, usually the vesting period. The estimation of stock-based awards that will ultimately vest requires judgment, and to the extent actual results or updated estimates differ from original estimates, such amounts are recorded as a cumulative adjustment in the period that the estimates are revised. The Company considers many factors when estimating expected forfeitures, including types of awards, employee class, and historical experience.

 

Concentrations

 

The Company maintains cash with major financial institutions. Cash held in US bank institutions is currently insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to $250,000 at each institution. No similar insurance or guarantee exists for cash held in Argentina bank accounts. There were aggregate uninsured cash balances of $73,633 and $45,055 at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

 

Foreign Operations

 

The following summarizes key financial metrics associated with the Company’s continuing operations (these financial metrics are immaterial for the Company’s operations in the United Kingdom):

 

   

As of

December 31,

 
    2016     2015  
Assets- Argentina   $ 5,456,317     $ 6,254,631  
Assets- U.S.     1,285,338       634,434  
Assets of continuing operations   $ 6,741,655     $ 6,889,065  
                 
Liabilities- Argentina   $ 2,883,656     $ 2,222,456  
Liabilities- U.S.     1,595,588       2,251,075  
Liabilities of continuing operations   $ 4,479,244     $ 4,473,531  

 

    For The Years Ended  
    December 31,  
    2016     2015  
Revenues- Argentina   $ 1,478,946     $ 1,842,356  
Revenues- U.S.     47,129       24,329  
Revenues from continuing operations   $ 1,526,075     $ 1,866,685  
                 
Net Loss- Argentina   $ 1,693,684     $ 2,434,321  
Net Loss- U.S.     6,106,179       3,995,239  
Net Loss from continuing operations   $ 7,799,863     $ 6,429,560  

 

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

Comprehensive income is defined as the change in equity of a business during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. It includes all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. The guidance requires other comprehensive income (loss) to include foreign currency translation adjustments.

 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

 

When circumstances, such as adverse market conditions, indicate that the carrying value of a long-lived asset may be impaired, the Company performs an analysis to review the recoverability of the asset’s carrying value, which includes estimating the undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest charges) from the expected future operations of the asset. These estimates consider factors such as expected future operating income, operating trends and prospects, as well as the effects of demand, competition and other factors. If the analysis indicates that the carrying value is not recoverable from future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value. Any impairment losses are recorded as operating expenses, which reduce net income. There were no impairments of long-lived assets for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

 

Segment Information

 

The FASB has established standards for reporting information on operating segments of an enterprise in interim and annual financial statements. The Company operates in one segment which is the business of real estate development in Argentina. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker reviews the Company’s operating results on an aggregate basis and manages the Company’s operations as a single operating segment.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company earns revenues from its real estate, hospitality, food & beverage, broker-dealer and other related services. Revenues from rooms, food and beverage, and other operating departments are recognized as earned at the time of sale or rendering of service. Cash received in advance of the sale or rendering of services is recorded as deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheets. Deferred revenues associated with real estate lot sale deposits are recognized as revenues (along with any outstanding balance) when the lot sale closes and the deed is provided to the purchaser. Other deferred revenues primarily consist of deposits accepted by the Company in connection with agreements to sell barrels of wine. These wine barrel deposits are recognized as revenues (along with any outstanding balance) when the barrel of wine is shipped to the purchaser. Sales taxes and value added (“VAT”) taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are presented on a net basis within revenues in the consolidated statements of operations.

 

The Company operates within a single operating segment, because all of its operations are in support of the Company’s branding strategy and its associated real estate development initiatives. However, the Company does track revenues from continuing operations associated with its different products and services, as follows:

 

    For The Years Ended  
    December 31,  
    2016     2015  
Hotel rooms and events   $ 846,245     $ 851,389  
Restaurants     317,258       519,255  
Winemaking     246,918       372,035  
Agricultural     25,647       13,336  
Golf, tennis and other     90,007       110,670  
Total revenues   $ 1,526,075     $ 1,866,685  

 

Revenues from the Company’s broker-dealer are included in income from discontinued operations for the periods presented.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for both the expected impact of differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities and for the expected future tax benefit to be derived from tax loss and tax credit carry forwards. The Company additionally establishes a valuation allowance to reflect the likelihood of realization of deferred tax assets.

 

Net Loss per Common Share

 

Basic loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, plus the impact of common shares, if dilutive, resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants and the conversion of convertible instruments.

 

The following securities are excluded from the calculation of weighted average dilutive common shares because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:

 

    December 31,  
    2016     2015  
             
Options     8,024,265       8,939,436  
Warrants     1,901,480       1,382,186  
Total potentially dilutive shares     9,925,745       10,321,622  

 

Advertising

 

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $57,987 and $92,050, respectively.

 

Reclassifications

 

Certain prior year balances have been reclassified in order to conform to current year presentation. These reclassifications have no effect on previously reported results of operations or loss per share.

 

New Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers,” (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC 605 - Revenue Recognition and most industry-specific guidance throughout the ASC. The standard requires that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 should be applied retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of initial application. To allow entities additional time to implement systems, gather data and resolve implementation questions, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, in August 2015, to defer the effective date of ASU No. 2014-09 for one year, which is fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

 

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory,” which applies to inventory that is measured using first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or average cost. Under the updated guidance, an entity should measure inventory that is within scope at the lower of cost and net realizable value, which is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. Subsequent measurement is unchanged for inventory that is measured using last-in, last-out (“LIFO”). This ASU is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-11 did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

 

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”), which increases the transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 will require lessees to recognize a right-of-use (ROU) asset for its right to use the underlying asset and a lease liability for the corresponding lease obligation for leases with terms of more than twelve months. Both the ROU asset and lease liability will initially be measured at the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. Subsequent measurement, including the presentation of expenses and cash flows, will depend on the classification of the lease as either a finance or an operating lease. Accounting by lessors will remain largely unchanged from current U.S. GAAP. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those years, with early adoption permitted, and is to be applied as of the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the provisions of ASU 2016-02 will have on the Company’s financial statements and related disclosures.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. The amendments are effective for public companies for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions are simplified, including: (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (c) classification in the statement of cash flows. The adoption of ASU 2016-09 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

 

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. The amendments in this update clarify the following two aspects to Topic 606: identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance, while retaining the related principles for those areas. The entity first identifies the promised goods or services in the contract and reduce the cost and complexity. An entity evaluates whether promised goods and services are distinct. Topic 606 includes implementation guidance on determining whether an entity’s promise to grant a license provides a customer with either a right to use the entity’s intellectual property (which is satisfied at a point in time) or a right to access the entity’s intellectual property (which is satisfied over time). The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-10 on its consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

 

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients” (“Update 2016-12”), amending Update 2014-09. The amendments do not change the core principles of Update 2014-09, but clarify matters related to assessment of a collectability criterion, presentation of sales and other taxes collected from customers, non-cash consideration, contract modifications at transition and completed contracts at transition. The requirements for these standards relating to Topic 606 will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the updated requirements on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230)” which provides guidance on the presentation and classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows in order to reduce diversity in practice. The ASU is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this standard on its consolidated financial statements.

 

On February 22, 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-05, ‘Other Income – Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Topic 610-20)”, which requires that all entities account for the derecognition of a business in accordance with ASC 810, including instances in which the business is considered in substance real estate. The ASU is effective for annual periods, and interim periods therein, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this standard on its consolidated financial statements.

 

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standard-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption.